Finding an Approved Motorcyclist Training Course

By
MARK BIGGER
|March 06, 2018

Motorcyclist Training Course Legal Requirement

The best place to start looking for a state-approved motorcyclist training
course is with the CA Highway Patrol (CHP). According to CA Vehicle Code
(CVC) 2930,
CA Motorcyclist Safety Program (CMSP), the CHP must administer the program. However, the CHP does utilize private
contractors.

The Motorcyclist Training Course is a requirement for all residents under
21-years-of-age who wish to get a motorcycle permit, per CVC
12509.5,
Persons Required to Be Licensed, Exemptions, and Age Limits. After completion of the 15-hour training, CHP issues the DL 389, a Certificate
of Completion of Motorcycle Training, which you must present to the DMV
for your permit. The course consists of 5 hours in the classroom and 10
hours of riding. You must have your permit for six months before applying
for an endorsement.

For applicants over 21-years-of-age, possession of the DL 389 waives the
road test. If you do not have a DL 389, you must request an appointment
to take the road test. You will have three opportunities to pass.

Whether you are requesting an M1, which authorizes you to drive a two-wheeled
motorcycle, a motorized scooter, and a motor-driven cycle, or a Class
M2, which authorizes the driving of motorized bicycles, mopeds, and motorized
scooters, you must have a motorcycle endorsement on your CA driver’s
license (DL).

● Provides a certificate of completion that waives a riding test by DMV,
if desired

Also, the course should meet the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s
(NHTSA) curriculum for
Model National Standards for Entry-Level Motorcycle Rider Training. This manual prescribes the student-instructor ratios, safety and protective
equipment requirements, instructor qualifications, and the minimum baseline
for training novices, which are:

● Pre-ride tasks

● Control skills

● Street strategies

● Street management skills

● Causes of negative rider performance

● Carrying passengers or cargo

One or more of these baseline standards might not be mandated in the CMSP
or the CA Motorcyclist Training Course, but are instead guidelines for
the CHP to consider in their programs.

Hire a Central Valley Traffic Lawyer

Remember that as a motorcycle rider you are obligated by the same laws
as other vehicle operators on CA’s roadways. However, many law enforcement
officers (LEO) will write you a ticket for a violation of CVC 21658,
Unsafe Lane Change, when you were “lane splitting” or “lane sharing.”
Although lane sharing is legal after 1 January 2017, if you receive a
ticket you should consult a traffic ticket attorney. Many LEOs do not
understand the law, or they try to interpret its meaning. Get expert legal
advice from Bigger & Harman. To be exact, you should
always consult a local traffic attorney when you get a ticket.

Bigger & Harman, APC is a traffic ticket defense team that practices
in many traffic courts around the entire Central Valley area, SLO, Riverside,
and LA county courts. It’s important to note that they practice
only traffic law because traffic court is unlike any other courtroom.
It is fast-paced and busy. A lawyer that practices another legal category
might get lost in traffic court or miss recent changes to the CVC that
might have allowed your case to get dismissed.

Read their write-up on
Nolo.com, one of the nation’s leading online legal digest. For a convenient
and confidential appointment use their website
contact form, or their
Facebook page.

Call Bigger & Harman, (661) 349-9300, to set up an appointment for
a consultation. You might also wish to send them an email with a scanned
copy of your ticket and the details,
attorney@biggerharmanlaw.com.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only.
Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual
case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt
or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.